Mexico Sues Google Over Renaming of Gulf of Mexico on Maps
Mexico has filed a lawsuit against Google over the tech giant’s decision to display the label ‘Gulf of America’ on its maps service for US users.
Despite repeated diplomatic requests to refrain from altering the historical name, the lawsuit was confirmed by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who stated the renaming is a breach of international sovereignty.
President Sheinbaum’s administration argues that the order to change the name should only apply to the US portion of the continental shelf, not to the entire gulf.
“The US has no authority to rename an entire shared body of water, especially one bordered not only by the US, but also by Cuba and Mexico” Sheinbaum told reporters at a press conference.
Google has previously stated that the gulf will continue to appear as the “Gulf of Mexico” on maps in Mexico. For others users around the world, the app now displays a dual label: ‘Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)’.
The name change previously caused controversy when the Associated Press (AP) was barred from attending events at the Oval Office and traveling aboard Air Force One after it continued to use the historical name. A federal judge had to intervene in April, ordering the White House to restore press access to the AP, citing violations of First Amendment protections.
A White House spokesperson had earlier criticised the news outlet’s stance, saying, “This decision is not just divisive, but it also exposes the Associated Press’s commitment to misinformation,” and accused the AP of “irresponsible and dishonest reporting.”
At Envio, we tend to affectionately refer to the region as ‘The Gulf’ and have done for quite some time but what about you? What do you call it? Leave us a comment on our LinkedIn, Twitter/X or Facebook platforms.
